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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Tifton, Georgia » Crop Genetics and Breeding Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #140074
Title: PERFORMANCE OF VARIOUS CYCLES OF POPULATION HYBRIDS BETWEEN WEST AFRICAN PEARL MILLET LANDRACES

Author
item Hanna, Wayne
item ANGARAWAI, I - NIGERIA
item FOFANA, A - SENEGAL
item Gates, Roger
item GONDA, J - NIGER
item GUPTA, S - NIGERIA
item MUUKA, F - ZAMBIA
item OUENDEBA, B - NIGER
item SANOGO, M - MALI
item Wilson, Jeffrey - Jeff

Submitted to: Intsormil
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/4/2002
Publication Date: 11/1/2002
Citation: Hanna, W.W., Angarawai, I., Fofana, A., Gates, R.N., Gonda, J., Gupta, S., Muuka, F., Ouendeba, B., Sanogo, M., and Wilson, J.P. 2002. Performance of various cycles of population hybrids between West African pearl millet landraces. Intsormil PI Conference. November 18-20, 2002. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Interpretive Summary: not required

Technical Abstract: It is well documented in a number of crops, including pearl millet, Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br., that forage and grain yields can be maximized with F1 hybrids and that yields decrease with subsequent generations. The objective of this research was to determine the stability of forage and grain yields of cycles 1, 2 and 3 and an open-pollinated cycle of population hybrids between diverse West African pearl millet landraces. Population hybrids were made among four landraces (Ex-Bornu, Ugandi, Mansori, Iniari). Hybrids were tested in Senegal, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Zambia for grain production and in the USA for forage production. At most locations there were only small differences for grain yield among the various cycles indicating that hybrid vigor could be maintained in these population hybrids. An unexpected response was the grain yield of WA31 and WA32 in Zambia where these two open-pollinated progenies of cycle 1 of two of the hybrids (Ex-Bornu x Ugandi and Ex-Bornu x Mansori, respectively) produced more grain than the other cycles. This was not observed in either Nigeria or Mali. Forage yields were somewhat different for the cycles of the population hybrids. No significant differences were observed for cycles of the Ex-Bornu x Ugandi and the Ex-Bornu x Iniari crosses, but cycles 2 and 3 of the Ex-Bornu x Mansori cross produced less dry matter in 2001 than cycle 1 indicating genotype responses for yield stability in these population hybrids. The population hybrids appear to have potential, although certain hybrids showed a small yield reduction with advancing generations. Both environment and genotype appear to affect the stability of these hybrids. Acknowledgment: Research supported in part by INTSORMIL project ARS 204.